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+--- Thread: Matt's system (/Thread-Matt-s-system)
RE: Matt's system - Confused - 06-Dec-2014
An interesting journey you've had Matt. I recall your quest a while back on another forum, a quest to find the perfect speaker to go with the D200. From here you discover the Montis. After discovering the Montis, you then find your way to the Magtech. What's next! Is this more or less the end of the story? (Bar a bit of tweaking here and there) Or can we look forward to future episodes in the tale ....?
RE: Matt's system - Jwg1749 - 06-Dec-2014
Yes, you're right: it's been interesting and not a little tortuous.
Oddly I started out by looking at amps. Knowing what I know now, I'd have started with speakers. IMO in a digital system speakers are the most important component.
The first time I properly heard MLs, I was blown away by their ability to render acoustic instruments and voices. Within the price bracket I set myself (up to £8K) they were well ahead of anything else. (The RRP is £10K, but my Montis are ex-demo and cost quite a lot less.)
I plan to make a decision on the Magtech over the next week. Once the decision is made, the journey won't have ended. I want to explore preamps, DACs and digital front ends.
I also need to "perfect" the digital front end of my study system (SF Cremona Auditor Ms and D200).
Watch this space!
RE: Matt's system - thumb5 - 06-Dec-2014
(06-Dec-2014, 22:19)Jwg1749 Wrote: I also need to "perfect" the digital front end of my study system (SF Cremona Auditor Ms and D200).
Watch this space!
I'll certainly be watching with a keen interest -- looking forward to the next episode!
RE: Matt's system - amabrok - 07-Dec-2014
All eyes and ears
RE: Matt's system - GuillaumeB - 07-Dec-2014
(06-Dec-2014, 22:19)Jwg1749 Wrote: IMO in a digital system speakers are the most important component.
Hi Matt why would this be any different from a traditional analogue system? Curious to understand your thinking here.
Guillaume
RE: Matt's system - GuillaumeB - 07-Dec-2014
(06-Dec-2014, 18:59)Jwg1749 Wrote: It's true that the Magtech is marketed as a power amp for conventional magnetic speakers, but according to the manufacturer the Magtech at 500WPC is really just a more powerful version of the ESL (400WPC): it has all the ESL's capability to drive 'statics: "The Magtech amplifier also uses the same advanced technology that makes the ESL amp able to drive the most difficult loads without performance-degrading, protective circuitry" (from the Sanders website). In other words, the same output design, with 20 transformers, plus a bit of extra current. The Magtech has one other clever trick: its regulated PSU.
I think a really interesting experiment would be to compare the Magtech against the 200 powering your Sonus Faber speakers!
Also I wasn't clear on something... with the Magtech what pre-amp are you using? Or are you using a digital volume control in the M-DAC?
Guillaume
RE: Matt's system - thumb5 - 07-Dec-2014
(07-Dec-2014, 12:25)GuillaumeB Wrote: I think a really interesting experiment would be to compare the Magtech against the 200 powering your Sonus Faber speakers!
I don't think I could bear the tension of that one…
RE: Matt's system - Jwg1749 - 07-Dec-2014
(07-Dec-2014, 12:17)GuillaumeB Wrote:(06-Dec-2014, 22:19)Jwg1749 Wrote: IMO in a digital system speakers are the most important component.
Hi Matt why would this be any different from a traditional analogue system? Curious to understand your thinking here.
Guillaume
Sorry, I wasn't clear: what I meant by "most important" was "deserving the largest slice of the budget". Two related reasons:
1. it's possible to get very high quality from a fairly low spend on a digital front end and DAC; the same isn't true of turntables.
2. experience suggests that people with high-end analogue systems do spend a large proportion of their budget on the turntable.
(07-Dec-2014, 12:25)GuillaumeB Wrote: I think a really interesting experiment would be to compare the Magtech against the 200 powering your Sonus Faber speakers!I did a very quick comparison on Friday: M-DAC and Magtech VS 200 (with SAM): I preferred the 200. It sounded cleaner and more transparent. Nice firm and tuneful bass too.
Also I wasn't clear on something... with the Magtech what pre-amp are you using? Or are you using a digital volume control in the M-DAC?
Guillaume
The best explanation of the problem with the Martin Logans is that the Dev couldn't provide sufficient voltage and was clipping. Not in a grossly distorting manner, but enough to rob the music of some of its depth and transparency. The Dev produces plenty of current, which is great for driving resistive loads such as electrodynamic speakers; but like many solid state amps it can't generate enough voltage to drive the capacitative load presented by a 'static.
Re. the M-DAC: yes, I'm using its digital volume control.
Matt
RE: Matt's system - GuillaumeB - 07-Dec-2014
(07-Dec-2014, 13:50)Jwg1749 Wrote: I did a very quick comparison on Friday: M-DAC and Magtech VS 200 (with SAM): I preferred the 200. It sounded cleaner and more transparent. Nice firm and tuneful bass too.
I bet a few on here are relieved to hear this!
Guillaume
RE: Matt's system - PhilP - 07-Dec-2014
(07-Dec-2014, 13:50)Jwg1749 Wrote: 1. it's possible to get very high quality from a fairly low spend on a digital front end and DAC; the same isn't true of turntables.
Matt
There's an on-going (literally for months) discussion on the Naim forum in which several Chord Hugo customers insist that their £1,400 DACs outperform the £13,000 Naim NDS/555PS streamer. So you may well be correct